Robert Bridges Martin, 88, passed away peacefully on December 2, 2021. Robert was born in Gary, Indiana on March 14, 1933 to James Renick and Mary Isabel Martin. For 64 years Robert was married to Nancy Jo until her untimely passing two years ago.
Robert was the definition of a self-made man. With little support from his parents he found his path playing basketball, ultimately playing college ball at Ohio Wesleyan. It was there that he met Nancy Jo Talley. After being rejected the first three times for a date, his persistence, and knowing a great thing when he saw it, finally won Nancy’s hand. Five children, 12 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren later, GranBob, or affectionately G-Bob, will finally be reunited with his beloved wife and his second son, our treasured and much loved and missed brother, Michael. Robert leaves behind sons Jeffrey and Scott, daughters Judy and Jill.
After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan and marrying Nancy, he committed to work for Aetna Group Insurance upon fulfilling his commitment to the Marine Corps. His corporate life started in Hartford, then Joliet, IL, then Chicago, and finally back to the corporate home office of Hartford. He also spent time as COO for an Aetna subsidiary in Salt Lake City. Most of his influential parental years was when he lived in Joliet; that is where he coached both basketball and baseball/softball to his sons and daughters. Robert retired at the age of 59 and spent his remaining 29 years fulfilling his dream of living by the beach and watching the Red Sox win a World Series.
Robert was a complex man, to not know Robert you would think he is a curmudgeon. Dad didn’t care what people who did not know him thought of him. However, those that knew him, and those that he let inside, saw his huge heart, his generous and caring nature. They saw his protective nature and saw the man and father any one would wish to be connected with. The loss now of both our Mom and Dad will leave a great void in our lives; knowing that they are together again, with dear Michael, helps erase much of that pain.
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OXLEY-HEARD FUNERAL DIRECTORS